‘Hope’ floats at CBS

Eye shifts drama to Thursday, slots '60 Minutes II' after 'Jag'

NEW YORK — CBS is bumping “Chicago Hope” back to Thursday night and shifting its Tuesday movie to Wednesday so that “60 Minutes II” and the new drama “Judging Amy” can take advantage of the strong “Jag” lead-in on Tuesday.

In its first season five years ago, “Chicago Hope” battled NBC’s rival Chicago-based doctor drama “ER” on Thursday nights and lost. Coming full circle, the revamped David E. Kelley medical drama will return to Thursdays, but this time at 9 p.m.

When the Eye web unwraps its fall schedule today, two other returning series will move to new timeslots too. “Cosby” transfers from Monday to Wednesday at 8 p.m., replacing “The Nanny,” with sophomore “King of Queens” filling the lead slot on Monday.

In terms of new shows, CBS plans to launch one new comedy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, while new dramas will go at 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and at 9 p.m. Friday.

Aside from the Tuesday and Wednesday revamp, CBS is largely keeping the structure of its schedule intact. The Eye web’s Saturday and Sunday schedules are returning unchanged.

The Friday reality series “Candid Camera,” which had been renewed, will not make the fall schedule, while Monday’s “L.A. Doctors,” Thursday’s “Promised Land” and “Turks” and Wednesday’s “Payne” have been canceled.

CBS did not return phone calls late Tuesday, but sources said the schedule is as follows:

On Monday nights, “King of Queens” will take on NBC’s “Suddenly Susan” at 8 p.m., its first test in an unprotected timeslot. The new sitcom “Ladies Man” will face off against “Veronica’s Closet” at 8:30 p.m., while “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Becker” will remain at 9 and 9:30 The new Paul Haggis drama “Family Law” rounds out Monday at 10 p.m.

On Tuesdays, where CBS has shown dramatic improvement this season, “Jag” will stay at 8 p.m., followed by “60 Minutes II,” which had been airing without much of a lead-in on Wednesdays. At 10 p.m., CBS will launch the new drama “Judging Amy,” which will compete its first few weeks against ABC’s new drama “Once and Again.”

On Wednesday night, “Cosby” will start the night at 8 against ABC’s “Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place,” followed by the new sitcom “Work with Me,” which faces ABC’s “The Norm Show.” The CBS movie airs from 9 to 11.

“Diagnosis Murder” will lead Thursday nights, followed by “Chicago Hope” at 9 and the newsmag “48 Hours” at 10.

CBS will keep one reality series, “Kids Say the Darndest Things” at 8 p.m. Fridays, followed by the new comedy “Love or Money” and the new drama “Now and Again.” “Nash Bridges” stays at 10 p.m. “Candid Camera,” which had aired at 8:30, is expected to air midseason or as a series of specials.

On Saturday, “Early Edition” will return at 8 p.m., followed by “Martial Law” and “Walker, Texas Ranger”

On Sunday, “60 Minutes” stays at 7, followed by “Touched by an Angel” and a movie.